Just Give me A Heart Attack, Why Don'tcha!
by TibbiToo
Summary: An unusual package is delivered to the Jackson-Blofis residence while the Chases are visiting,Minus Annabeth and Percy. What will the two families find in the box? Books. Specifically, books about their demigod children!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N Yeah, yeah. I know these are overdone, but I thought it would be super cool to have the MORTALS read the books. This takes place the July before The 2****nd**** Titan war. I hope you enjoy! :) **

**Read, review, and love it! ;)**

It was mid July, and Sally Jackson-Blofis, Paul Blofis, Fredrick Chase, Susan Chase and Mathew and Bobby were all sitting around the Jackson-Blofis coffee table in front of the TV, sipping their iced tea and sodas.

The two families had agreed that they should meet since their kids, Percy and Annabeth, had been best friends for over 4 ½ years. The parents talked about their half-blood children with fondness, and shared memories that would never be forgotten.

Paul was new to this world, seeing as he was just told about it, and he tried to digest the content of the discussion. He couldn't believe that Percy had regular monster fighting occurrences and such.

Their conversation varied to the demigod world, to sports, to recipes, to hobbies. That was, until the doorbell rang. Sally laughed at a remark Susan made, and excused herself to get the door.

Sally walked down the hall, and opened the door to find….no one.

She looked farther down to see a medium sized package lying on the floor. She picked it up and examined it; no writing appeared on the outside layer. Unsure, she brought the box into the living room, where everyone was making small talk with one another, while Mathew and Bobby played legos.

Once the three adults noticed Sally's curious face and the package in her hands, they started on a new topic.

"What's that, honey?" Paul asked his wife.

"I'm not sure." She replied.

"Is there writing on outside?" Susan questioned.

"No." Sally said. "Let me go get a knife so we can open it up." She then walked out of the room, into the kitchen, and returned with a knife. Then swiftly cut the box open.

She looked inside to find books.

"Books?" She muttered.

"Books?" Fredrick asked.

"Yeah. Books. Wait! There's a note attached to one of them!" she responded. Sally picked the first book up, which had a note taped on the cover.

"It says:

_Dear Sally, Paul, Susan, Fredrick, Mathew, and Bobby,_

_Inside this box are the answers to some of your questions. Read and understand the life of your demigod child._

_PS: Please don't have any heart attacks; I already have so much to do on my schedule._

_-Super-Cool-Amazing-Person"_

Silence filled the room until Susan said, "Demigod children. That means Annabeth and Percy."

"Yeah." Agreed Sally. She ripped the note off and gasped at the cover.

"Sally, what is it?" Paul asked, a little worried.

Sally sat down next to her husband on the couch, and put the book on the coffee table. By this time Mathew and Bobby had stopped playing with their legos to come see what all the commotion was about.

Everyone leaned into the table to see the cover of the book. On it was a boy with black hair wearing an orange shirt and blue jeans, standing in the middle of the ocean; a horn and a sword in either hand. His back was facing them;he was looking at the Empire State building. Lightning filled the sky.

But what really got their attention was the title: _Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Book 1- The Lightning Thief. _

"Oh, dear lord!" Susan cried, breaking the silence. Those short 3 words were enough to cause chaos. Soon everyone was talking like they got hyped up on coffee…which is possible since some of the adults _did_ consume the beverage.

"What did the note say?" Fredrick asked Sally.

Sally reread the note in a shaky voice. "It says for us to read it."

"To understand our children more." Agreed Paul. "That's something that I really need."

"Same here." Susan replied.

"So…do we read them?"Paul asked wearily.

"I would think so…but who's Super-Cool-Amazing-Person?" Fredrick asked the group.

"Well, obviously an amazing person who doesn't want to be known." Bobby says, rolling his eyes.

The adults chuckled.

"Okay, so let's read?" Sally asks.

Everyone nods their head, including Bobby and Mathew.

"I'll read first." Sally offered, opening the book.

Then she began to read…..

**A/N I know it's short, but that's because it's the intro. I hope you liked it, and if you do (or don't!) please tell me in a review! Any suggestions to what the characters should say at certain parts in the book, what characters should I add and such are greatly accepted! :) I love ya all! And remember REVIEW!**


	2. I Accidently Vaporzie My Pre Algabra Tea

**A/N I'm alive! I am so so so so so so so so sorry for the really really really late update! I feel SO bad! :'(. I had another fic I was working on, school started a month ago and I have on average 4 hours of homework a day, and I have no free time! But I do right now! I promise I will try my best to update ASAP. I am usually free on the weekends, so I'll work on chapters then. So I might be able to update every 2-3 weeks. I know that's a REALLY long time, and I apologize! But anyways, at the end A/N, I'll be talking about the SoN trailer and characters and the HG trailer. Thank you SO much for being patient, and I am really thankful for all my reviewers. **

**Clarification: one of my reviewers asked me where Percy and Annabeth were in this story. They are at camp, cuz this is the summer of the titan war. They're training and all that good stuff. And Paul was told the truth between BotL and TLO, which is when this story takes place, so this is why Paul is new to this world. Question: In the demigod files, did Percy ever mention Paul knowing the truth?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO, nor the bolded text in the story.**

**Read, review. Love! ;)**

**_I ACCIDENTALLY VAPORIZE MY PRE-ALGEBRA TEACHER_**

**"I Accidentally Vaporize my Pre-Algebra Teacher," **

"That doesn't sound too good." Mathew said.

"No. It doesn't." agreed Susan.

"I remember this." Sally sighed.

"Oh! Because you knew Percy back then!" Fredrick said.

"Yes, I am his mother after all." Sally laughed.

**Look, I didn't want to be a half-blood.**

"Who does?" Sally asked.

**If you're reading this because you think you might be one, my advice is:**

**Close this book right now. Believe whatever lie your mom or dad told you about your birth, and try to lead a normal life.**

"Well, I doubt we're half-bloods." Susan smiled.

**Being a half-blood is dangerous. It's scary. Most of the time, it gets you killed in painful, nasty ways.**

"Cool!" Bobby and Mathew said together, smiling, while their parents gave them a dirty look. **(1)**

"It isn't cool at all." Sally shook her head sadly, recalling memories.

**If you're a normal kid, reading this because you think its fiction, great. Read on. I envy you for being able to believe that none of this ever happened.**

**But if you recognize yourself in these pages—if you feel something stirring inside—stop reading immediately. You might be one of us. And once you know that, it's only a matter of time before _they _sense it too, and they'll come for you.**

"That sounds…scary." Susan warily said.

"Whose 'they?'" asked Bobby.

"Monsters." Sally answered.

"They're not that scary. I bet I could beat them!" Mathew smirked.

"With your coordination? Ha! Me? Now THAT I can believe." Bobby argued.

"Nuh uh!"

"Uh huh!"

"Nu Huh!"

Uh-!"

"Boys! Please, settle down." Susan ordered, and they obliged.

**Don't say I didn't warn you.**

**My name is Percy Jackson.**

Sally smiled a little at her son's name.

**I'm twelve years old. Until a _few _months ago, I was a boarding student at Yancy Academy, a private school for troubled kids in upstate New York.**

**Am I a troubled kid?**

**Yeah. You could say that.**

The adults in the room all laughed, while Bobby and Mathew said, "Getting in trouble isn't that funny, you know." Which only caused the parents to smile even more.

"It means you got caught." Mathew said.

"And that means you're an amateur." Bobby finished.

"Uh, huh." Sally smiled, then started again.

**I could start at any point in my short miserable life to prove it, **

Sally frowned at this part. Miserable? I mean, she did do the best to make his life as normal as possible. She continued reading so nobody would notice her hesitation.

**but things really started going bad last May, when our sixth-grade class took a field trip to Manhattan— twenty-eight mental-case kids and two teachers on a yellow school bus, heading to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to look at ancient Greek and Roman stuff.**

**I know—it sounds like torture.**

"It's kind of ironic how he's Greek and all, but doesn't find his heritage fascinating." Susan chuckled.

"Yeah, he doesn't like to study things and learn them ahead of time. He's more of a 'learn as I go' type of guy." Sally said.

"Which probably gets him in serious trouble?" Paul guessed.

"Oh, you have _no_ idea!" Sally laughed, clearly over her past thoughts.

**Most Yancy field trips were.**

**But Mr. Brunner, our Latin teacher, was leading this trip, so I had hopes.**

**Mr. Brunner was this middle-aged guy in a motorized wheelchair. He had thinning hair and a scruffy beard and a frayed tweed jacket, which always smelled like coffee. You wouldn't think he'd be cool, but he told stories and jokes and let us play games in class. He also had this awesome collection of Roman armor and weapons, so he was the only teacher whose class didn't put me to sleep.**

"Chiron." The adults all said together.

"Who's that?" Bobby asked.

"Oh! Isn't that Annabeth's teacher at camp?" Mathew asked.

"Yes, it is." Susan smiling, recalling all the great things Annabeth said about her teacher.

**I hoped the trip would be okay. At least, I hoped that for once I wouldn't get in trouble.**

**Boy, was I wrong.**

"Oh yes he was." Sally muttered, which caused the group to eye her.

**See, bad things happen to me on field trips. Like at my fifth-grade school, when we went to the Saratoga battlefield, I had this accident with a Revolutionary War cannon. I wasn't aiming for the school bus, but of course I got expelled anyway.**

All the adults were wide eyes, while Sally just shook her head and smiled.

"That. Is. AWESOME!" Mathew and Bobby yelled together, _their_ eyes wide and mouths gaped open.

"Mom, could we-"

"No." Susan replied quickly.

"But you don't even know-"

"What it is?" Susan finished. "I just don't want to know."

The boys sighed in frustration.

**And before that, at my fourth-grade school, when we took a behind-the-scenes tour of the Marine World shark pool, I sort of hit the wrong lever on the catwalk and our class took an unplanned swim. And the time before that... Well, you get the idea.**

"Wow." Paul said. "Percy certainty has had a, uh, _colorful_ past."

"You have no idea." Sally told him.

**This trip, I was determined to be good.**

**All the way into the city, I put up with Nancy Bobofit, the freckly, redheaded kleptomaniac girl, hitting my best friend Grover** **in the back of the head with chunks of peanut butter-and-ketchup sandwich.**

"Ew." Everyone said with their noses wrinkled in disgust.

**Grover was an easy target. He was scrawny. He cried when he got frustrated. He must've been held back several grades, because he was the only sixth grader with acne and the start of a wispy beard on his chin. On top of all that, he was crippled.**

"Crippled my butt." Someone muttered, though the voice was unidentified.

**He had a note excusing him from PE for the rest of his life because he had some kind of muscular disease in his legs. He walked funny, like every step hurt him, but don't let that fool you. You should've seen him run when it was enchilada day in the cafeteria.**

"Enchiladas are really good." Fredrick nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, especially with some salsa?" Bobby said.

"That's gross. Who puts salsa on their enchiladas?" Mathew looked at him in disgust.

"I do!" Bobby glanced at his mother who was giving him a disapproving frown. "But let's not have an argument. Mom wants to continue reading."

Susan nodded in acknowledgment.

"Hey, mom, do I get something for doing the right thing?" Bobby asked.

"No. sally please continue."

**Anyway, Nancy Bobofit was throwing wads of sandwich that stuck in his curly brown hair, and she knew I couldn't do anything back to her because I was already on probation. The headmaster had threatened me with death **

"What!" Bobby yelled.

"She's gonna _KILL_ him!" Mathew said, bewildered. "That's illegal, right?"

"Well, there's more to the sentence so…" Sally trailed off.

**by in-school suspension **

"Okay." Mathew and Bobby sighed.

**if anything bad, embarrassing, or even mildly entertaining happened on this trip.**

"That doesn't sound…fun at all." Paul concluded.

"How did Percy survive that trip?" Mathew asked.

"With luck and a pen." Sally muttered. Everyone looked at her oddly.

**"I'm going to kill her," I mumbled.**

**Grover tried to calm me down. "It's okay. I like peanut butter."**

**He dodged another piece of Nancy's lunch.**

**"That's it." I started to get up, but Grover pulled me back to my seat.**

"Would he really punch a girl?" Fredrick asked.

"Well, I guess it would depend...I'm not quite sure." Sally answered.

"Dude," Bobby said, "that girl-"

"-Is a monster!" Mathew concluded.

"So he has the right to punch her? Is that what you're saying?" Susan asked, eyebrows raised.

"Mom, you're being slow." Mathew said, "She's a monster-"

"-not a girl. So he can punch her." Bobby finished once again.

"Percy, or anybody else for that matter, can punch monsters." Mathew clarified.

"Okay...?" Susan said, but it came out like a question. Her two boys had very, uh..._interesting_ theories.

**"You're already on probation," he reminded me. "You know who'll get blamed if anything happens."**

**Looking back on it, I wish I'd decked Nancy Bobofit right then and there.**

"Yes, he would." Sally answered, going back to the 'would he really punch a girl' question.

"I bet Percy thinks she's a monster too." Bobby told the group.

"You're probably right." Paul smiled.

**In-school suspension would've been nothing compared to the mess I was about to get myself into.**

"Foreshadowing." Paul mentioned proudly.

"Yes, it adds to the mystery!" Fredrick agreed.

**Mr. Brunner led the museum tour.**

**He rode up front in his wheelchair, guiding us through the big echoey galleries, past marble statues and glass cases full of really old black-and-orange pottery.**

**It blew my mind that this stuff had survived for two thousand, three thousand years.**

"Longer than that." Sally smiled.

**He gathered us around a thirteen-foot-tall stone column with a big sphinx on the top, and started telling us how it was a grave marker, a _stele, _for a girl about our age. He told us about the carvings on the sides. I was trying to listen to what he had to say, because it was kind of interesting, **

"At least he finds it interesting. But too bad he doesn't like to study it." Susan shook her head.

"Percy doesn't like studying _anything_." Sally laughed.

**but everybody around me was talking, and every time I told them to shut up, the other teacher chaperone, Mrs. Dodds, would give me the evil eye.**

**Mrs. Dodds was this little math teacher from Georgia who always wore a black leather jacket, even though she was fifty years old. She looked mean enough to ride a Harley right into your locker. She had come to Yancy halfway through the year, when our last math teacher had a nervous breakdown.**

"That doesn't sound right..." Fredrick muttered.

**From her first day, Mrs. Dodds loved Nancy Bobofit and figured I was devil spawn. She would point her crooked finger at me and say, "Now, honey," real sweet, and I knew I was going to get after-school detention for a month.**

"That's a little overdramatic." Paul concluded.

"She must really hate him." Susan agreed.

"Oh, she did all right. More than you know." Sally informed them.

**One time, after she'd made me erase answers out of old math workbooks until midnight, I told Grover I didn't think Mrs. Dodds was human. He looked at me, real serious, and said, "You're absolutely right."**

"I hate teachers like that." Mathew said.

"Always telling you to do actually do your homework? Please. They aren't human." Bobby agreed.

"Sweetie," Susan said looking at her children, "I think he means _literal_ monsters. They're _not_ human."

"Oh." They both said quietly.

**Mr. Brunner kept talking about Greek funeral art.**

**Finally, Nancy Bobofit snickered something about the naked guy on the stele, and I turned around and said, "Will you _shut up_?"**

**It came out louder than I meant it to.**

"Of course it did." Sally muttered.

**The whole group laughed. Mr. Brunner stopped his story.**

**"Mr. Jackson," he said, "did you have a comment?"**

**My face was totally red. I said, "No, sir."**

**Mr. Brunner pointed to one of the pictures on the stele. "Perhaps you'll tell us what this picture represents?**

**I looked at the carving, and felt a flush of relief, because I actually recognized it. "That's Kronos eating his kids, right?"**

"Ew." Bobby and Mathew said in unison.

**"Yes," Mr. Brunner said, obviously not satisfied.**

**"And he _did _this because ..."**

**"Well..." I racked my brain to remember. "Kronos was the king god,**

**and—"**

"Chiron isn't going to be too pleased about the whole 'king god' thing." Susan smiled.

"No, he isn't." Sally agreed.

**"God?" Mr. Brunner asked.**

**"Titan," I corrected myself. "And ... he didn't trust his kids, who were the gods. So, um, Kronos ate them, right? But his wife hid baby Zeus, and gave Kronos a rock to eat instead.**

"How do you confuse a baby with a rock?" Mathew asked.

"Maybe he was dumb?" Bobby guessed and shrugged.

**And later, when Zeus grew up, he tricked his dad, Kronos, into barfing up his brothers and sisters—"**

"Cool!" Bobby and Mathew yelled in unison, a big goofy grin plastered to each of their faces.

**"Eeew!" said one of the girls behind me.**

**"—and so there was this big fight between the gods and the Titans," I continued, "and the gods won."**

**Some snickers from the group.**

"But that story's right..?" Paul trailed off with a confused expression on his face.

**Behind me, Nancy Bobofit mumbled to a friend, "Like we're going to use this in real life. Like it's going to say on our job applications, 'Please explain why Kronos ate his kids.'"**

"Actually, he will use it in real life." Fredrick muttered.

"Is it possible that what Chiron teaches, is just for Percy?" Susan asked.

"It might be…I mean, he came to the school for him." Sally answered.

**"And why, Mr. Jackson," Brunner said, "to paraphrase Miss Bobofit's excellent question, does this matter in real life?"**

**"Busted," Grover muttered.**

**"Shut up," Nancy hissed, her face even brighter red than her hair.**

**At least Nancy got packed, too. Mr. Brunner was the only one who ever caught her saying anything wrong. He had radar ears.**

"That's because he's part horse." Bobby sing sung.

**I thought about his question, and shrugged. "I don't know, sir."**

**"I see." Mr. Brunner looked disappointed. "Well, half credit, Mr. Jackson.**

"He's really hard on him." Fredrick said.

**Zeus did indeed feed Kronos a mixture of mustard and wine, which made him disgorge his other five children, who, of course, being immortal gods, had been living and growing up completely undigested in the Titan's stomach. The gods defeated their father, sliced him to pieces with his own scythe, and scattered his remains in Tartarus, the darkest part of the Underworld. On that happy note, it's time for lunch. **

"That's not very happy." Mathew frowned.

"It's supposed to be funny doofus!" Bobby responded.

"Mom!" Mathew yelled. "Mathew called me a-"

"Yes. I know. I just _heard_ him." Susan said, "Bobby, _please_ don't call your brother names."

"Fine.'"Bobby muttered, looking away.

**Mrs. Dodds, would you lead us back outside?"**

**The class drifted off, the girls holding their stomachs, the guys pushing each other around and acting like doofuses.**

**Grover and I were about to follow when Mr. Brunner said, "Mr. Jackson."**

**I knew that was coming.**

**I told Grover to keep going. Then I turned toward Mr. Brunner. "Sir?"**

**Mr. Brunner had this look that wouldn't let you go— intense brown eyes that could've been a thousand years old and had seen everything.**

"He has." Paul said.

"It must be awful. Seeing all those people dying, I mean." Susan agreed.

"Yeah, all those _kids_." Fredrick said.

"Well _that_ just makes me warm and jolly. Thanks mom and dad." Bobby said sarcastically.

"Dude," Mathew said, addressing his brother, "Who says 'jolly' anymore?"

"I do!" Bobby retorted.

"Let's get back to the story." Sally interrupted, trying to divert the conversation.

**"You must learn the answer to my question," Mr. Brunner told me.**

**"About the Titans?"**

**"About real life. And how your studies apply to it."**

**"Oh."**

**"What you learn from me," he said, "is vitally important. I expect you to treat it as such. I will accept only the best from you, Percy Jackson."**

"It will be important. Very important." Mathew said seriously.

"It will determine if he shall live or not." Bobby followed in the same suit as his brother, but both cracked a smile when they looked over at each other.

**I wanted to get angry, this guy pushed me so hard.**

**I mean, sure, it was kind of cool on tournament days, when he dressed up in a suit of Roman armor **

"Wouldn't it be Greek?" Paul asked, but no one responded.

**and shouted: "What ho!'" and challenged us, sword-point against chalk, to run to the board and name every Greek and Roman person who had ever _lived, _and their mother, and what god they worshipped.**

"He really is a good teacher." Susan smiled.

"The best." Sally agreed.

**But Mr. Brunner expected me to be as good as everybody else, despite the fact that I have dyslexia and attention deficit disorder and I had never made above a C— in my life. No—he didn't expect me to be _as good; _he expected me to be _better. _And I just couldn't learn all those names and facts, much less spell them correctly.**

"That stinks." Mathew muttered.

**I mumbled something about trying harder, while Mr. Brunner took one long sad look at the stele, like he'd been at this girl's funeral.**

"He probably had." Sally smiled sadly.

**He told me to go outside and eat my lunch.**

**The class gathered on the front steps of the museum, where we could watch the foot traffic along Fifth Avenue.**

**Overhead, a huge storm was brewing, with clouds blacker than I'd ever seen over the city. I figured maybe it was global warming or something, because the weather all across New York State had been weird since Christmas.**

"Is that the gods-?"Paul began.

"Fighting?" Sally offered. "Yes. But only two."

"Who?"

"You'll have to wait and see." Sally smiled.

**We'd had massive snow storms, flooding, wildfires from lightning strikes. I wouldn't have been surprised if this was a hurricane blowing in.**

**Nobody else seemed to notice. Some of the guys were pelting pigeons with Lunchables crackers.**

"Hey," Bobby smiled. "That's what I'd be doing."

"Same here bro!" Mathew agreed, high-fiving his brother.

"Boys!" Susan said sternly, putting her pointer finger to her lips.

"Sorry." the boys mumbled.

**Nancy Bobofit was trying to pickpocket something from a lady's purse, and, of course, Mrs. Dodds wasn't seeing a thing.**

**Grover and I sat on the edge of the fountain, away from the others. We thought that maybe if we did that, everybody wouldn't know we were from _that _school—the school for loser freaks who couldn't make it elsewhere.**

"Nice plan." Fredrick said seriously.

"That's what _I'd_ be doing." nodded Paul.

**"Detention?" Grover asked.**

**"Nah," I said. "Not from Brunner. I just wish he'd lay off me sometimes. I mean—I'm not a genius."**

**Grover didn't say anything for a while. Then, when I thought he was going to give me some deep philosophical comment to make me feel better, he said, "Can I have your apple?"**

Mathew and Bobby just laughed.

"I want Grover to be our new best friend." Mathew laughed.

"Yeah! He could eat all our fruit and vegetables at the dinner table when mom's not looking!" Bobby agreed. Susan just glared at them.

**I didn't have much of an appetite, so I let him take it.**

**I watched the stream of cabs going down Fifth Avenue, and thought about my mom's apartment, only a little ways uptown from where we sat. I hadn't seen her since Christmas.**

"That's so sad." Susan frowned.

"But are we any different. We didn't see Annabeth for 4 years." Fredrick reminded his wife.

"Oh yeah." she sighed.

**I wanted so bad to jump in a taxi and head home. She'd hug me and be glad to see me, but she'd be disappointed, too. She'd send me right back to Yancy, remind me that I had to try harder, even if this was my sixth school in six years**

"Wow." was all Paul could say.

**and I was probably going to be kicked out again. I wouldn't be able to stand that sad look she'd give me.**

"I know. Moms always make you feel guilty." muttered Mathew.

"It's part of the job." Susan and Sally said together.

"That was weird..." Bobby muttered.

**Mr. Brunner parked his wheelchair at the base of the handicapped ramp. He ate celery while he read a paperback novel. A red umbrella stuck up from the back of his chair, making it look like a motorized cafe table.**

"Can I have a mocha?" Bobby asked his mom.

"No." Susan said simply.

**I was about to unwrap my sandwich when Nancy Bobofit appeared in front of me with her ugly friends—I guess she'd gotten tired of stealing from the tourists—and dumped her half-eaten lunch in Grover's lap.**

"I would've punched her." Mathew said simply.

"Mathew, we don't punch girls!" Fredrick said sternly.

"Dad. We've already been over this!" Bobby yelled.

"She's not a girl, she's a monster!" the two cried together.

**"Oops." She grinned at me with her crooked teeth. Her freckles were orange, as if somebody had spray-painted her face with liquid Cheetos.**

**I tried to stay cool. The school counselor had told me a million times, "Count to ten, get control of your temper." **

"He has anger management?" Paul asked his Sally.

"A little bit, yeah."

**But I was so mad my mind went blank. A wave roared in my ears.**

"A wave?" Fredrick asked.

**I don't remember touching her, but the next thing I knew, Nancy was sitting on her butt in the fountain, screaming, "Percy pushed me!"**

"Oh dang." Mathew said

"You just got told!" agreed Bobby.

"Technically, nobody got told. She jut got owned." Paul corrected. Everyone just looked at him oddly.

"I'm a teacher! I have to keep up with the gargon."

"Gargon?" Bobby asked.

"It means slang." Sally answered.

"You can't say 'owned' and 'you just got told' if you day 'gargon'. It's just not right." Mathew shook his head. Sometimes adults just didn't understand.

"Okay then."Paul said awkwardly.

**Mrs. Dodds materialized next to us.**

**Some of the kids were whispering: "Did you see—"**

**"—the water—"**

**"—like it grabbed her—"**

"That's freaky." Paul said. "So he can control water?"

"Yeah. He has other powers too, but he can tell you about those after the...uh...war." Sally stuttered the last part.

"Annabeth mentioned a prophecy." Susan said, "Did Percy ever tell you...?"

"No. He doesn't know." Sally responded. Paul took her hand for reassurance.

**I didn't know what they were talking about. All I knew was that I was in trouble again.**

**As soon as Mrs. Dodds was sure poor little Nancy was okay, promising to get her a new shirt at the museum gift shop, etc., etc., Mrs. Dodds turned on me. There was a triumphant fire in her eyes, as if I'd done something she'd been waiting for all semester. **

"Yep. You revealed yourself. She knows now." Sally said, shaking her head.

"I think Grover was right about her not being human." Fredrick agreed.

**"Now, honey—"**

**"I know," I grumbled. "A month erasing workbooks."**

**That wasn't the right thing to say.**

"Of course not! Now she's going to give you _that_ punishment, _plus_ the one she had in mind!" Bobby cried as he tried to explain the situation to a nonexistent Percy.

"Um, bro, you know you're talking to a book, right?" Mathew stifled a laugh.

"Like you haven't done that before!" Bobby said.

**"Come with me," Mrs. Dodds said.**

**"Wait!" Grover yelped. "It was me. _I _pushed her."**

"Yeah, I defiantly want him as my friend. He could totally take the blame for all the..." Bobby glanced at his mother who was giving him 'The Look'.

"What were you saying Bobby?" Susan asked.

"I could blame him for all the...uh...good deeds, yeah that sounds good, I do...so,uh, I wouldn't get the credit, and, um, because I want to have...integrity?" Bobby stuttered an excuse, but it came out more like a question.

"I'll take it, this time."

**I stared at him, stunned. I couldn't believe he was trying to cover for me. Mrs. Dodds scared Grover to death.**

"I bet she did." Sally muttered.

**She glared at him so hard his whiskery chin trembled.**

**"I don't think so, Mr. Underwood," she said.**

**"But—"**

**"You—_will_**—**stay—here."**

**Grover looked at me desperately.**

**"It's okay, man," I told him. "Thanks for trying."**

"It's not okay." Sally said worryingly. She already knew he'd survive the attack, but this would be the first time she'd get to see what _really_ went down...and it brought back painful memories.

**"Honey," Mrs. Dodds barked at me. "_Now_."**

**Nancy Bobofit smirked.**

**I gave her my deluxe I'll-kill-you-later stare.**

"Scary." Mathew mocked.

"Actually, he can be very scary...when he wants to be. Otherwise he's pretty laid back." Sally corrected.

"Kinda like the ocean..." Paul realized. "The ocean can be pretty chill and 'go with the flow', yet it can be unpredictable and dangerous, like Percy."

"You're right!" Fredrick agreed.

"Well, yeah. Demigods resemble their godly parents physically and internally." Sally explained.

"So I'm guessing Annabeth is like Athena?" Susan asked with curiosity.

"I haven't met her, but from Percy's stories, I'd say yes. Right Fredrick?" Sally asked.

"Umm, yeah, they're really close in looks and personalities." He answered uncomfortably.

"Hmmmm." was all Susan said.

**Then I turned to face Mrs. Dodds, but she wasn't there. She was standing at the museum entrance, way at the top of the steps, gesturing impatiently at me to come on.**

**How'd she get there so fast? **

Bobby answered the book with, "She's a demigod or god, duh."

"No, dude. She's a monster." Mathew said.

"Uh uh!"

"Wanna bet?"

"Yes! If she's a demigod or god, I win, if she's a monster, you win." Bobby said.

"Winner gets the last cupcake at home."

"Deal!" both Bobby and Mathew said together, shaking hands.

Sally just smiled knowing who would win while the other adults silently chose sides.

**I have moments like that a lot, when my brain falls asleep or something, and the next thing I know I've missed something, as if a puzzle piece fell out of the universe and left me staring at the blank place behind it. **

"That doesn't sound fun at all." Fredrick said.

**The school counselor told me this was part of the ADHD, my brain misinterpreting things.**

**I wasn't so sure.**

"I'm not so sure either." agreed Sally.

**I went after Mrs. Dodds.**

**Halfway up the steps, I glanced back at Grover. He was looking pale, cutting his eyes between me and Mr. Brunner, like he wanted Mr. Brunner to notice what was going on, but Mr. Brunner was absorbed in his novel.**

"Why wasn't he watching?" Susan asked.

"I'm not sure...but he'll come through." Sally said knowingly.

**I looked back up. Mrs. Dodds had disappeared again. She was now inside the building, at the end of the entrance hall.**

"I'm telling you, she's a monster." Mathew told him brother.

"She's obviously a demigod or god." Bobby rolled his eyes.

"How is that obvious? Your prediction makes NO SENSE!"

"She can move fast, she's evil-"

"-demigods and gods aren't evil." Mathew corrected.

"Some gods are mean! Look at Ares! The minor gods are siding with the Titans in the war, that's what Annabeth says. I mean, we're doomed!"

Bobby's last bit surprised the adults. They didn't think the kids knew that much.

"Enough about that, lets get reading." Sally said sadly.

**Okay, I thought. She's going to make me buy a new shirt for Nancy at the gift shop.**

"I wish." Sally muttered.

**But apparently that wasn't the plan.**

**I followed her deeper into the museum. When I finally caught up to her, we were back in the Greek and Roman section.**

**Except for us, the gallery was empty.**

"Spooky." Fredrick said.

**Mrs. Dodds stood with her arms crossed in front of a big marble frieze of the Greek gods. **

"I'm telling you, she's a god. She says 'Honey' a lot too...maybe she's the goddess of Honey! That would be sweet! No pun intended!" Bobby cheered.

**She was making this weird noise in her throat, like growling.**

"Nope. She's a monster." Mathew corrected.

**Even without the noise, I would've been nervous. It's weird being alone with a teacher, especially Mrs. Dodds. Something about the way she looked at the frieze, as if she wanted to pulverize it...**

**"You've been giving us problems, honey," she said.**

**I did the safe thing. I said, "Yes, ma'am."**

"I'm surprised!" Sally said.

**She tugged on the cuffs of her leather jacket. "Did you really think you would get away with it?"**

**The look in her eyes was beyond mad. It was evil.**

"Okay, this is getting creepy. I mean, she can't harm students, right?" Susan asked nervously.

**She's a teacher, I thought nervously. It's not like she's going to hurt me.**

"You and Percy seem to agree." Fredrick laughed.

**I said, "I'll—I'll try harder, ma'am."**

"He's being polite, so that should give him a less extreme punishment..." Paul said warily.

"Being polite won't get him out of this one." Sally said quietly.

**Thunder shook the building.**

**"We are not fools, Percy Jackson," Mrs. Dodds said. "It was only a matter of time before we found you out. Confess, and you will suffer less pain."**

"Okay, this teacher is a whack job!" Bobby shouted.

"She's not a teacher! She's a monster!" corrected Mathew.

" A god!" argued Bobby.

**I didn't know what she was talking about.**

**All I could think of was that the teachers must've found the illegal stash of candy I'd been selling out of my dorm room.**

"Really, Percy?" Sally shook her head and laughed.

**Or maybe they'd realized I got my essay on _Tom Sawyer _from the Internet without ever reading the book **

"What!" the adults cried, but they had to control their laughter at Percy's behavior.

"Brilliant!" the two boys said.

**and now they were going to take away my grade. Or worse, they were going to make me read the book.**

"That's WAY worse!" agreed Mathew and Bobby.

"Of course he'd think it would be worse." Sally smiled, missing her son.

**"Well?" she demanded.**

**"Ma'am, I don't..."**

**"Your time is up," she hissed.**

**Then the weirdest thing happened. Her eyes began to glow like barbecue coals. Her fingers stretched, turning into talons. Her jacket melted into large, leathery wings. She wasn't human. She was a shriveled hag with bat wings and claws and a mouth full of yellow fangs, and she was about to slice me to ribbons.**

"I win!" Mathew gloated, smiling triumphantly.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Bobby muttered.

"I get that delicious cupcake. Dang, life's good."

"Shut up!" Bobby told his brother.

"Bobby!" Susan scolded.

**Then things got even stranger.**

**Mr. Brunner, who'd been out in front of the museum a minute before, wheeled his chair into the doorway of the gallery, holding a pen in his hand.**

"Told you he would come through." Sally told Susan.

"What's a pen going to do?" Mathew asked.

"Is he gonna stab her to death?" Bobby asked excitingly.

"I don't know." Fredrick asked, confused. "How about we read and find out?"

**"What ho, Percy!" he shouted, and tossed the pen through the air.**

**Mrs. Dodds lunged at me.**

**With a yelp, I dodged and felt talons slash the air next to my ear. I snatched the ballpoint pen out of the air, but when it hit my hand, it wasn't a pen anymore. It was a sword—**

"Oh dang!" Mathew called out.

"Percy's about to go Ip Man on her!**(2)**" Bobby agreed.

"Ummm..." was all the adults could say.

**Mr. Brunner's bronze sword, which he always used on tournament day.**

**Mrs. Dodds spun toward me with a murderous look in her eyes.**

**My knees were jelly. My hands were shaking so bad I almost dropped the sword.**

**She snarled, "Die, honey!"**

Sally winced. Even though she knew her son would be okay, this was the first time she'd be able to hear the truth: what really _did_ happen in that museum.

**And she flew straight at me.**

**Absolute terror ran through my body. I did the only thing that came naturally: I swung the sword.**

**The metal blade hit her shoulder and passed clean through her body as if she were made of water. _Hisss!_**

**Mrs. Dodds was a sand castle in a power fan. She exploded into yellow powder, vaporized on the spot, leaving nothing but the smell of sulfur and a dying screech and a chill of evil in the air, as if those two glowing red eyes were still watching me.**

**I was alone.**

Now, throughout this whole fight, no one dared say a word, until Fredrick said:

"Well _that_ would be creepy."

**There was a ballpoint pen in my hand.**

**Mr. Brunner wasn't there. Nobody was there but me.**

**My hands were still trembling. My lunch must've been contaminated with magic mushrooms or something.**

"Magic Mushrooms?" Mathew asked.

"Isn't that some sort of drug?" Bobby said.

"And how would _you_ know that?" Susan questioned.

"Ummmmm." Bobby said. "Dad told me!"

"I did not!" Fredrick defended.

"Relax Honey. I know." Susan told her husband, then she turned to Bobby. "What did I tell you about blaming things on your father?"

"It's wrong and I shouldn't do it." Bobby sighed.

"Good. Sally, continue reading."

**Had I imagined the whole thing?**

**I went back outside.**

**It had started to rain.**

**Grover was sitting by the fountain, a museum map tented over his head. Nancy Bobofit was still standing there, soaked from her swim in the fountain, grumbling to her ugly friends. When she saw me, she said, "I hope Mrs. Kerr whipped your butt."**

"Who? Everyone asked with a confused look plastered on their faces.

**I said, "Who?"**

**I blinked. We had no teacher named Mrs. Kerr. I asked Nancy what she was talking about.**

**She just rolled her eyes and turned away.**

**I asked Grover where Mrs. Dodds was.**

**He said, "Who?"**

"What-?"

"I have no clue. Percy must be going crazy." Mathew answered for his brother.

**But he paused first, and he wouldn't look at me, so I thought he was messing with me.**

**"Not funny, man," I told him. "This is serious."**

**Thunder boomed overhead.**

"That's serious." Sally muttered referring to the loud boom.

"What is? Paul asked.

"Nothing." Sally said quickly. "Look, we're almost done with the chapter!" Then she quickly began to read.

**I saw Mr. Brunner sitting under his red umbrella, reading his book, as if he'd never moved.**

**I went over to him.**

**He looked up, a little distracted. "Ah, that would be my pen. Please bring your own writing utensil in the future, Mr. Jackson."**

"I wonder what's going on." Fredrick said, troubled.

"I don't know... We'll surly get some answers in the next chapter, or maybe even this one." Susan answered.

**I handed Mr. Brunner his pen. I hadn't even realized I was still holding it.**

**"Sir," I said, "where's Mrs. Dodds?"**

**He stared at me blankly. "Who?"**

**"The other chaperone. Mrs. Dodds. The pre-algebra teacher."**

**He frowned and sat forward, looking mildly concerned.**

"Wait! Why only mildly?" Mathew asked. Everyone just looked at him in awe.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Because they've just realized you actually have a brain in there!" Bobby joked.

"Dude, you're the one to be talking."

"Wanna go?"

"Yeah!"

They both started to get up, so Susan yelled, "Boys! Please sit down and settle down! If you even lay a finger on one another, you're grounded!"

The two boys obliged.

**"Percy, there is no Mrs. Dodds on this trip. As far as I know, there has never been a Mrs. Dodds at Yancy Academy. Are you feeling all right?"**

"Wow. That must be terrible. Is it a trick, or did something happen to Percy?" Paul asked as he resituated himself on the couch.

"_That's_ a question that will be answered in the next few chapters." Sally smirked. "So, we should get reading."

"I call dibs on reading next!" Bobby yelled.

"Fine." Mathew pouted. "But I get dibs on the chapter after that!"

Sally handed the book to Bobby, who then began to read the next chapter

""**Three Old Ladies Knit the Socks of Death."**

**A/N So? How was it? Tell me anything to make it better, it really helps. Do I need less dialogue and focus on more of their thoughts? Switch POV's and have it in first person? Does it sound choppy? Please send me suggestions!**

**Who saw the hunger games trailer? Yeah it was short, but we saw part of the movie! I have faith Jennifer will make an amazing Katniss. **

**And anyone see the book trailer of SoN? It came out a while ago, but yeah… We know who frank is and Reyna! The dogs in front of her are automatons and we've never seen her godly parent before, ideas? (For those you who don't know, rick posts a new character on his blog every Tuesday. It's on his blog called "Myth and Mystery" check it out ;)**

**_NOTES_:**

**1. This was Bookworm2497's idea, so thank her! Thanks for the idea!**

**2. has anyone seen the movie Ip Man? Best kung fu movie EVER! So pretty much, Ip Man an a freaking beast who is a kung fu machine, in case your wondering ;)**


	3. Three Old Ladies Knit the Socks of Death

**A/N Don't shoot me! I'm updating! I'm really sorry for not! But thank you to all my reviewers! You guys rock my world and put a smile on my face every time I hear from you!**  
><strong>And thank you to my wonderful beta, love-serenades. If you haven't checked out her stories, you need to. She's amazing!<strong>  
><strong>Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or the words in bold, they all belong to the genius and pro torturer we call Rick Riordan. <strong>

"**Three Old Ladies Knit the Socks of Death,"** read Bobby

"The Socks of Death?" Susan asked, looking at Sally.

Sally thought back three years ago, then realization crept upon her face. "Oh..." she said. "I know what that means. But, before you ask, no, I'm not going to tell you."

"Wow, that's cold." Mathew told Sally, crossing his arms.

"But that's the best part about books!" Paul protested. "Predicting what willhappen."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. This is great and all, but do you people mind if we get back to the book?" Bobby asked impatiently, rolling his eyes.

"Sure, whatever." Mathew mumbled.

**I was used to the occasional weird experience, but usually they were over quickly.**

**This twenty-four/seven hallucination was more than I could handle. For the rest of the school year, the entire campus seemed to be playing some kind of trick on me. The students **

**acted as if they were completely and totally convinced that Mrs. Kerr—a perky blond woman whom I'd never seen in my life until she got on our bus at the end of the field trip—had been **

**our pre-algebra teacher since Christmas.**

**Every so often I would spring a Mrs. Dodds reference on somebody, just to see if I could trip them up, but they would stare at me like I was psycho.**

"That would stink." Fredrick agreed, remembering a time when he was the new kid in high school. He was told by the front office to go to a tutoring class during lunch, and to sign in with Pat. He went all

over school asking where Pat was. He was told Pat Mayfield had Math 2nd period, but when he went to her math class and waited for her, Pat Mayfield just looked at him oddly and left. Turns out Pat stood

for "Personal Academic Tutoring." It was a machine in the library. Fredrick shook his head and listened to his son read.

**It got so I almost believed them—Mrs. Dodds had never existed.**

**Almost.**

**But Grover couldn't fool me.**

**When I mentioned the name Dodds to him, he would hesitate, and then claim she didn't exist. But I knew he was lying.**

**Something was going on. Something _had _happened at the museum.**

"Okay, so Percy isn't crazy, the school is." Paul decided. "It may be that stuff that blocks the mortals from seeing mythical stuff."

"You mean the Mist? We'll see." Sally said motioning for Bobby to continue.

**I didn't have much time to think about it during the days, but at night, visions of Mrs. Dodds with talons and leathery wings would wake me up in a cold sweat.**

**The freak weather continued, which didn't help my mood. One night, a thunderstorm blew out the windows in my dorm room.**

"They're really close." Sally muttered, looking troubled. "Why didn't he write or call about it?"

"Wait who's 'they'?" Bobby asked.

"Nobody," was all Sally had to say.

**A few days later, the biggest tornado ever spotted in the Hudson Valley touched down only fifty miles from Yancy Academy.**

Once again, Sally looked troubled.

**One of the current events we studied in social studies class was the unusual number of small planes that had gone down in sudden squalls in the Atlantic that year.**

**I started feeling cranky and irritable most of the time. My grades slipped from Ds to Fs.**

"Is there much of a difference?" Bobby asked.

"Yes, in some schools, you can pass classes with D's. Getting an F is failing." Paul informed him.

"So I can get D's and pass?" Mathew asked earnestly, leaning a little towards Paul.

"Don't even think about it." Susan told them.

"Fine." The boys muttered, disappointed.

**I got into more fights with Nancy Bobofit and her friends. I was sent out into the hallway in almost every class.**

**Finally, when our English teacher, Mr. Nicoll, asked me for the millionth time why I was too lazy to study for spelling tests, I snapped. I called him an old sot. I wasn't even sure what it **

**meant, but it sounded good.**

The adults in the room paused, then burst out laughing.

"I don't get it." Bobby said, looking around, a blank expression written on his face.

"It's nothing, honey," Susan told her son, smiling. There was no way she was going to tell him what a sot was. "Just keep reading."

**The headmaster sent my mom a letter the following week, making it official: I would not be invited back next year to Yancy Academy.**

**Fine, I told myself. Just fine.**

**I was homesick.**

**I wanted to be with my mom in our little apartment on the Upper East Side, even if I had to go to public school and put up with my obnoxious stepfather and his stupid poker parties.**

"So, we get to see Gabe?" Paul wiggled in his seat, but there was a bit of protectiveness in his voice-barely noticeable, but there nonetheless.

"Yeah…" Sally replied, feeling uncomfortable. _This isn't going to be fun_, she thought.

"You were married before, Sally?" Susan asked.

"Umm, yeah." Sally muttered. Everyone could tell that they shouldn't get into it sincethey would be reading about it. Plus, Sally looked liked she was going to be sick.

**And yet... there were things I'd miss at Yancy. The view of the woods outside my dorm window, the Hudson River in the distance, the smell of pine trees. I'd miss Grover, who'd been a **

**good friend, even if he was a little strange.**

**I worried how he'd survive next year without me.**

**I'd miss Latin class, too—Mr. Brunner's crazy tournament days and his faith that I could do well.**

"Ahh. There's his interest." Susan smiled. "I was wondering why mythology didn't interest him. After all, it's who he is."

"Susan, it's not mythology, it's real life." Fredrick told his wife.

"Actually, saying something is a mythology or a myth doesn't make it untrue. Mythology is the explanation of why things are the way they are, and shows what's morally right and wrong." Paul explained.

"Really?" Sally asked.

"Yep." Paul told her.

"Er, right. I'm going to read now." Bobby told the adults.

**As exam week got closer, Latin was the only test I studied for.**

**I hadn't forgotten what Mr. Brunner had told me about this subject being life-and-death for me. I wasn't sure why, but I'd started to believe him.**

"Why is that?" Mathew asked.

"I honestly don't know." Sally told him,frowning. "It might be his immortal blood telling him that."

"Hmm."

**The evening before my final, I got so frustrated I threw the _Cambridge Guide to Greek Mythology _across my dorm room. Words had started swimming off the page, circling my head, the **

**letters doing one-eighties as if they were riding skateboards. There was no way I was going to remember the difference between Chiron and Charon,**

"Funny." Sally laughs, "He's met both. And I remember Percy telling me that Charon did _not_ like being mixed up with Chiron."

**or Polydictes and Polydeuces. And conjugating those Latin verbs? Forget it.**

**I paced the room, feeling like ants were crawling around inside my shirt.**

**I remembered Mr. Brunner's serious expression, his thousand-year-old eyes. _I will accept only the best from you, Percy Jackson._**

**I took a deep breath. I picked up the mythology book.**

**I'd never asked a teacher for help before. Maybe if I talked to Mr. Brunner, he could give me some pointers. At least I could apologize for the big fat F I was about to score on his exam.**

"He really cares about what Chiron thinks about him, doesn't he?" Susan asked Sally.

"Yeah, it's the only teacher who really got to him."

"I wish I had a teacher who understood me." Mathew pouted.

"Sorry, bro, but no one will ever understand you." Bobby told him.

Mathew punched his shoulder. "You're the one to talk. Now get reading."

"Whatever…" Bobby trailed off.

**I didn't want to leave Yancy Academy with him thinking I hadn't tried.**

**I walked downstairs to the faculty offices. Most of them were dark and empty, but Mr. Brunner's door was ajar, light from his window stretching across the hallway floor.**

**I was three steps from the door handle when I heard voices inside the office. Mr. Brunner asked a question. A voice that was definitely Grover's said,**

**_"..._worried about Percy, sir."**

**I froze.**

"So his friend's a backstabber, huh?" Bobby asked to no one in particular.

Sally scowled a little, but regained her posture, knowing Bobby didn't really know what Grover was and how he would help her son in the future. "Not particularly." She said. "You'll see soon."

**I'm not usually an eavesdropper,**

The adults raised an eyebrow, silently disagreeing.

"Sure you aren't, hun." Sally muttered.

**but I dare you to try not listening if you hear your best friend talking about you to an adult.**

**I inched closer.**

**"... alone this summer," Grover was saying. "I mean, a Kindly One in the _school_! Now that we know for sure, and _they _know too—"**

**"We would only make matters worse by rushing him," Mr. Brunner said. "We need the boy to mature more."**

Fredrick and Susan sighed, wishing Annabeth matured more before she ran away…although she was quite intelligent for her age. They both shook their heads, trying to erase the bad memories and focus on

the good ones, and the memories they would soon be able to create.

**"But he may not have time. The summer solstice dead line—"**

**"Will have to be resolved without him, Grover. Let him enjoy his ignorance while he still can."**

**"Sir, he _saw _her... ."**

**"His imagination," Mr. Brunner insisted. "The Mist over the students and staff will be enough to convince him of that."**

"So somethingdefinitely happened. The Mist is a pretty powerful thing." Paul concluded, "I mean, I've lived my whole life being fooled into thinking monsters were trucks and other normal stuff."

"I can relate." Susan smiled. "The whole 'gods are real' situation really gets to you. It takes forever to process."

**"Sir, I ... I can't fail in my duties again." Grover's voice was choked with emotion. "You know what that would mean."**

**"You haven't failed, Grover," Mr. Brunner said kindly. "I should have seen her for what she was. Now let's just worry about keeping Percy alive until next fall—"**

**The mythology book dropped out of my hand and hit the floor with a thud.**

"He is _so_ dead," muttered Mathew, shaking his head."It's so obvious he isn't a pro stalker. A pro would know better."

"Yes." Susan told her sons. "And you follow Percy's example in not being an eavesdropper, right?"  
>"You are exactly right, mom." Both the boys nodded, but their expressions made it obvious they were lying.<p>

**Mr. Brunner went silent.**

**My heart hammering, I picked up the book and backed down the hall.**

**A shadow slid across the lighted glass of Brunner's office door, the shadow of something much taller than my wheelchair-bound teacher, holding something that looked suspiciously like **

**an archer's bow.**

"I can't believe Chiron would give himself away like that!" Sally shook her head, not understanding. Chiron was smart.

"Sally," Paul addressed her, "The author probably did this to give us a clue of what was going on."

"Oh." Sally said. "Bobby, you can continue."

**I opened the nearest door and slipped inside.**

**A few seconds later I heard a slow _clop-clop-clop, _like muffled wood blocks, then a sound like an animal snuffling right outside my door. A large, dark shape paused in front of the glass, **

**and then moved on.**

**A bead of sweat trickled down my neck.**

**Somewhere in the hallway, Mr. Brunner spoke. "Nothing," he murmured. "My nerves haven't been right since the winter solstice."**  
>"What's the Winter Solstice?" Mathew asked.<p>

"It's December 22 this year." His father answers.

"Is that it?" asks Bobby. "Nothing important?'

"You'll see," was Sally's only answer, so Bobby kept reading.

**"Mine neither," Grover said. "But I could have sworn ..."**

**"Go back to the dorm," Mr. Brunner told him. "You've got a long day of exams tomorrow."**

**"Don't remind me."**

**The lights went out in Mr. Brunner's office.**

**I waited in the dark for what seemed like forever.**

**Finally, I slipped out into the hallway and made my way back up to the dorm.**

**Grover was lying on his bed, studying his Latin exam notes like he'd been there all night.**

**"Hey," he said, bleary-eyed. "You going to be ready for this test?"**

**I didn't answer.**

**"You look awful." He frowned. "Is everything okay?"**

**"Just... tired."**

"More like scared." Mathew muttered. Everyone looked at him oddly.

"What!" he cried indignantly. "Wouldn't you be too if you just heard your friend and a teacher saying they have to keep you alive till next fall?" Everyone nodded their heads, understanding

**I turned so he couldn't read my expression, and started getting ready for bed.**

**I didn't understand what I'd heard downstairs. I wanted to believe I'd imagined the whole thing.**

**But one thing was clear: Grover and Mr. Brunner were talking about me behind my back. They thought I was in some kind of danger.**

_I just wish I knew how much you were ,_Sally thought.

**The next afternoon, as I was leaving the three-hour Latin exam,**

"That stinks! Please tell me I won't have to take a three-hour test!" Bobby asked his parents. Susan and Fredrick just smiled at them mischievously.

**my eyes swimming with all the Greek and Roman names I'd misspelled, Mr. Brunner called me back inside.**

**For a moment, I was worried he'd found out about my eavesdropping the night before, but that didn't seem to be the problem.**

**"Percy," he said. "Don't be discouraged about leaving Yancy. It's ... it's for the best."**

**His tone was kind, but the words still embarrassed me. Even though he was speaking quietly, the other kids finishing the test could hear. Nancy Bobofit smirked at me and made **

**sarcastic little kissing motions with her lips.**

Susan sighed. "I feel terrible for giving Annabeth such a hard time when Fredrick and I first got married. I didn't understand how troublesome it is to be a demigod."

"It's not your fault." Fredrick told his wife, taking her hand.

"Yeah." Sally nodded. "Trying to relate to and understand a half-blood is very difficult, impossible even. You just have to let them know you care, and to show them they have a home."

"I'm glad I know that now." Susan nodded.

"Okay, sorry to interrupt this love-fest, but I'm going to read now." Bobby interrupted.

**I mumbled, "Okay, sir."**

**"I mean ..." Mr. Brunner wheeled his chair back and forth, like he wasn't sure what to say. "This isn't the right place for you. It was only a matter of time."**

**My eyes stung.**

**Here was my favorite teacher, in front of the class, telling me I couldn't handle it. After saying he believed in me all year, now he was telling me I was destined to get kicked out.**

"He's not very good with words, is he?" Paul asked.

"In some cases, he's quite good. He just tends to state the truth in a way that could be taken as harsh." Sally explained.

**"Right," I said, trembling.**

**"No, no," Mr. Brunner said. "Oh, confound it all. What I'm trying to say ... you're not normal, Percy. That's nothing to be—"**

"Yep, terrible with words." Mathew and Bobby said in unison, laughing.

**"Thanks," I blurted. "Thanks a lot, sir, for reminding me."**

**"Percy—"**

**But I was already gone.**

**On the last day of the term, I shoved my clothes into my suitcase.**

**The other guys were joking around, talking about their vacation plans. One of them was going on a hiking trip to Switzerland. Another was cruising the Caribbean for a month. They **

**were juvenile delinquents, like me,**

"Percy's a juvenile delinquent!" Mathew yelled, his eyes bugged out.

"No." Sally said with sad eyes. "It's the title that's given to him though, and once you hear it a lot, you tend to believe it."

**but they were _rich _juvenile delinquents. Their daddies were executives, or ambassadors, or celebrities. I was a nobody, from a family of nobodies.**

"Tell that to your father." Fredrick smiled.

**They asked me what I'd be doing this summer and I told them I was going back to the city.**

**What I didn't tell them was that I'd have to get a summer job walking dogs or selling magazine subscriptions, and spend my free time worrying about where I'd go to school in the fall.**

"You'll be worrying about way more important things later, Percy." Sally smiled. No one commented on how she was talking to a book. They knew she was talking more to herself.

**"Oh," one of the guys said. "That's cool."**

**They went back to their conversation as if I'd never existed.**

**The only person I dreaded saying good-bye to was Grover, but as it turned out, I didn't have to. He'd booked a ticket to Manhattan on the same Greyhound as I had,so there we were, **

**together again, heading into the city.**

**During the whole bus ride, Grover kept glancing nervously down the aisle, watching the other passengers. It occurred to me that he'd always acted nervous and fidgety when we left **

**Yancy, as if he expected something bad to happen.**

"Is it because Chiron wasn't around?" Mathew asked.

"I'm not sure." Sally answered, her eyebrows furrowed together, like they always did when she was confused or worried.

**Before, I'd always assumed he was worried about getting teased. But there was nobody to tease him on the Greyhound.**

**Finally I couldn't stand it anymore.**

**I said, "Looking for Kindly Ones?"**

"Oh daaang!" Bobby laughed, "Percy got you, Grover!"

"Man, he must have been scared to death!" Mathew agreed.

**Grover nearly jumped out of his seat. "Wha—what do you mean?"**

**I confessed about eavesdropping on him and Mr. Brunner the night before the exam.**

"Wait. Hold up. You never admit to anything." Mathew said, shaking his head in disapproval.

"It's, like, the Golden rule." Bobby nodded.

"I thought the Golden rule was to treat others how you would want to be treated." Paul put in, confused.

"Fine, it's the bronze rule." Bobby said.

"I think you mean _Celestial_ Bronze rule." Mathew smiled slyly. Bobby grinned back.

**Grover's eye twitched. "How much _did _you hear?"**

**"Oh ... not much. What's the summer solstice dead-line?"**

**He winced. "Look, Percy ... I was just worried for you, see? I mean, hallucinating about demon math teachers …"**

"Uh-huh. Sure…" Fredrick trailed off in disbelief, leaning back a little and crossing is arms.

**"Grover—"**

**"And I was telling Mr. Brunner that maybe you were overstressed or something, because there was no such person as Mrs. Dodds, and ..."**

**"Grover, you're a really, really bad liar."**

"Which is a very, very good thing." Susan said as she looked at her boys.

"Actually," Sally retorted, "Not being able to lie can get you in pretty nasty situations." Susan gave her a look, clearly saying, _Don't tell the boys that! They'll be lying their faces off by the time we finish this _

_book! _Sally returned the look with a _Sorry! I'll zip up right now_ expression.

**His ears turned pink.**

**From his shirt pocket, he fished out a grubby business card. "Just take this, okay? In case you need me this summer.**

**The card was in fancy script, which was murder on my dyslexic eyes, but I finally made out something like:**

**_Grover Underwood_**

**_Keeper_**

**_Half-Blood Hill_**

**_Long Island, New York_**

**_(800)009-0009_**

"Let's prank call them!' Mathew whispered to his brother.

"So ahead of you!" Bobby smirked.

**"What's Half—"**

**"Don't say it aloud!" he yelped. "That's my, um ... summer address."**

**My heart sank. Grover had a summer home. I'd never considered that his family might be as rich as the others at Yancy.**

**"Okay," I said glumly. "So, like, if I want to come visit your mansion."**

**He nodded. "Or...or if you need me."**

**"Why would I need you?"**

"Ouch" and "harsh" were the echoed responses of the readers.

**It came out harsher than I meant it to.**

**Grover blushed right down to his Adam's apple. "Look, Percy, the truth is, I—I kind of have to protect you."**

**I stared at him.**

**All year long, I'd gotten in fights, keeping bullies away from him. I'd lost sleep worrying that he'd get beaten up next year without me. And here he was acting like he was the one who **

**defended _me._**

"That would be disturbing." Bobby agreed.

"Well, Grover will protect Percy in the future. You'll find out very soon." Sally explained. She didn't know all the details of the quest, but she was sure Grover had saved her son's life many times, and vice

versa.

**"Grover," I said, "What exactly are you protecting me from?"**

**There was a huge grinding noise under our feet. Black smoke poured from the dashboard and the whole bus filled with a smell like rotten eggs.**

"Not good." Fredrick muttered, looking worried.

**The driver cursed and steered the Greyhound over to the side of the highway.**

**After a few minutes clanking around in the engine compartment, the driver announced that we'd all have to get off. Grover and I filed outside with everybody else.**

**We were on a stretch of country road—no place you'd notice if you didn't break down there.**

That means 'somewhat deserted.'" Susan muttered, clearly worried, just like her husband.

**On our side of the highway was nothing but maple trees and litter from passing cars. On the other side, across four lanes of asphalt shimmering with afternoon heat, was an old-**

**fashioned fruit stand.**

**The stuff on sale looked really good: heaping boxes of blood red cherries and apples, walnuts and apricots, jugs of cider in a claw-foot tub full of ice_. _There were no customers, just three **

**old ladies sitting in rocking chairs in the shade of a maple tree, knitting the biggest pair of socks I'd ever seen.**

"Ten bucks that they're monsters." Mathew bet his brother.

"You're on. Ten bucks say that they're immortal, but NOT monsters. More like gods or whatever."

They shook on it.

The adults shook their head, but they, too, were wondering.

**I mean these socks were the size of sweaters, but they were clearly socks. The lady on the right knitted one of them. The lady on the left knitted the other. The lady in the middle held **

**an enormous basket of electric-blue yarn.**

**All three women looked ancient, with pale faces wrinkled like fruit leather, silver hair tied back in white bandannas, bony arms sticking out of bleached cotton dresses.**

**The weirdest thing was, they seemed to be looking right at me.**

"**Talk about stalkers," muttered Paul.**

**I looked over at Grover to say something about this and saw that the blood had drained from his face. His nose was twitching.**

**"Grover?" I said. "Hey, man—"**

**"Tell me they're not looking at you. They are, aren't they?"**

**"Yeah. Weird, huh? You think those socks would fit me?"**

"I'm really starting to like Percy." Bobby smiled.

"Me too. He'd fit in with us just fine." Mathew agreed.

"Yeah, but too bad, he's _way _older than you." Susan told them, "Now, get reading, Bobby. We should be done in a few pages, give or take."

**"Not funny, Percy. Not funny at all."**

**The old lady in the middle took out a huge pair of scissors—gold and silver, long-bladed, like shears. I heard Grover catch his breath.**

**"We're getting on the bus," he told me. "Come on."**

**"What?" I said. "It's a thousand degrees in there."**

**"Come on!'" He pried open the door and climbed inside, but I stayed back.**

**Across the road, the old ladies were still watching me. The middle one cut the yarn, and I swear I could hear that _snip _across four lanes of traffic.**

**Her two friends balled up the electric-blue socks, leaving me wondering who they could possibly be for—Sasquatch or Godzilla.**

_I wonder what this was all about_, Sally thought, wondering if her son would die in the war in two months.

**At the rear of the bus, the driver wrenched a big chunk of smoking metal out of the engine compartment. The bus shuddered, and the engine roared back to life.**

**The passengers cheered.**

**"Darn right!" yelled the driver. He slapped the bus with his hat. "Everybody back on board!"**

**Once we got going, I started feeling feverish, as if I'd caught the flu.**

**Grover didn't look much better. He was shivering and his teeth were chattering.**

**"Grover?"**

**"Yeah?"**

**"What are you not telling me?"**

"Everything." Everybody said. They all started laughing like crazy.

"Okay, after we're done with this chapter, how about we get something to eat?" Sally offered.

"Thank you!" Bobby and Mathew cheered, rubbing their stomachs.

**He dabbed his forehead with his shirt sleeve. "Percy, what did you see back at the fruit stand?"**

**"You mean the old ladies? What is it about them, man? They're not like ... Mrs. Dodds, are they?"**

**His expression was hard to read, but I got the feeling that the fruit-stand ladies were something much, much worse than Mrs. Dodds. He said, "Just tell me what you saw."**

**"The middle one took out her scissors, and she cut the yarn."**

"Does this symbolize something?" Mathew asked.

"You'll see." Was Sally's answer- yet and Bobby were getting pretty sick of it.

**He closed his eyes and made a gesture with his fingers that might've been crossing himself, but it wasn't. It was something else, something almost—older.**

**He said, "You saw her snip the cord."**

**"Yeah. So?" But even as I said it, I knew it was a big deal.**

**"This is not happening," Grover mumbled. He started chewing at his thumb. "I don't want this to be like the last time."**

**"What last time?"**

**"Always sixth grade. They never get past sixth."**

**"Grover," I said, because he was really starting to scare me. "What are you talking about?"**

"I can understand why he's flipping out." Bobby said.

"Yeah, everyone's looking at him like he's already dead." Paul added.

**"Let me walk you home from the bus station. Promise me."**

**This seemed like a strange request to me, but I promised he could.**

**"Is this like a superstition or something?" I asked.**

**No answer.**

**"Grover—that snipping of the yarn. Does that mean somebody is going to die?"**

"He's smarter than he looks." Susan said randomly. She quickly saw the disgruntled expression on Sally's face and said, "No disrespect or anything! It's just that he figured that out really quick, when none

of us could."

"It's all right." Sally sighed. "Most people don't realize that he's actually really bright. He tends to blurt the first thing that comes to mind, due to his ADHD, which are usually obvious thoughts, so he

appears, well- not intelligent, I guess you would say."

**He looked at me mournfully, like he was already picking the kind of flowers I'd like best on my coffin.**

"What a sucky way to be looked at." Mathew shook his head sadly. Then, his expression lightened up as he cheered, "So, lunch time!"

**A/N I am sooooooo sorry for not updating. I've had lots of homework and I'm really busy on the weekends now. I know, it's not a valid excuse. Please forgive me. And I'm hoping to put **

**up a Hazel/Percy friendship on Saturday or Sunday, depending on if I finish it on time. Finals are Thursday and Friday for me, so I am studying like CRAZY! Anyway, I hope you liked it. I **

**love all my reviewers! You guys amaze me! Go ahead and yell at me in a review for not updating, because I deserve it. Oh, and MERRY CHRISTMAS!**


	4. Author's Note

A/N. This isn't a chapter, so sorry if you thought it was.

I have an announcement, and I just wanted you to be aware of it. My friend, Mrs. Billy Pratt and I are writing a crossover story together, consisting of the fandoms: Percy Jackson, Sammy Keyes, Psych and the Avengers.

The reason I'm telling you this is because we're making a joined account, and the people following me wouldn't know that I have a new story, and finding the crossover might be a little hard. The story is going to be located in the Percy Jackson and The Avengers section, but there's still plenty of Psych and Sammy Keyes in there. Our name is "TheObliviousElephants. You can find the profile/more information on my profile.

But anyways, news/a response to me not updating in, like, forever.

Just find the story your reading this message under, and see why the heck I haven't updated, and when I will.

**Just Give me A Heart Attack Why Don'tcha?!:** I haven't updated this since December 21, 2011. Wow. No wonder you guys are ticked off, I'm a slacker. First off, I apologize. I haven't been in the writing mode lately, but as of now, I'm trying to start writing again. I hope to publish the next chapter soon, but I don't want to set an exact date because I don't want to let you down. But don't worry, this story is my top priority, alongside this new fic. Thank you so much to those who have dealt with me over the year, and have continued to persuade me to continue. Honestly, getting those reviews, even months later, really reminds me that there are still people who want me to continue. I love you guys so much!

**Hero**: Hey! Just so you know, for those of you who are following this, I'm not going to add new chapters. What I mean is that the next installment is going to be another story itself, so if you want to know when it's coming, Author Alert me. I'm trying to write them, but I have lost inspiration, but I think I'm starting to get back into the writing mood now. I have a bunch of ideas, but right now I don't know what story/characters I'm going to do first. Thanks for all your suggestions!

**My Life's What Now?!:**Yes, I realize it's been a year since I updated, and I apologize. I WAS planning on posting chapters over the summer, but then I got lazy, and I regret it. So, I AM trying to work on it, and thanks for your patience! You are truly amazing and you have a right to be mad at me. Frankly, I'm mad at myself. So, I hope this fic kinda makes up for it. Oh! I also have a oneshot I'm working on, and I hope to post it soon. Thanks for all your support!


	5. Grover Unexpectedly Loses his Pants

**A/N No, you're eyes are not playing tricks on you. This is a REAL update! The world is ending! First of all, I am so sorry for not updating this in, what, a year? It's something like that. Second of all, I just want to thank all my reviewers, subscribers and all the favorites. You guys truly got me writing again, and I am eternally grateful for all of you. I am so blessed to have such awesome people reading my stories. It means so much to me.**

**But anyways, I hope you enjoy this long (and overdue) chapter, because you guys deserve it.**

**Read, Review, Love ;)**

Chapter Four

GROVER UNEXPECTEDLY LOSES HIS PANTS

"Well, that was delicious!" Mathew sighed as he flopped on the couch in the Jackson-Blofis residence, rubbing his now full stomach.

"Heck yeah it was." agreed Bobby as he collapsed next to his brother. "So, who's reading next?"

"I am!" Mathew declared, his hand sky rocketing up in the air, "I called dibs last chapter!"

"Okay, okay." Susan told her son, settling down on the couches along with the other adults. "You can read."

Mathew smiled wickedly as he grabbed the book, and he began to read.

"**Grover Unexpectedly Loses his Pants," **

"Well, that's disturbing." Bobby murmured, which earned a small smile from the adults. The titles were always disturbing or random.

**Confession time: I ditched Grover as soon as we got to the bus terminal.**

Matthew started busting up, and his brother joined in. "Seriously? This guy's great!"

"I can't believe he did that." Sally murmured, her eyebrows furrowed. How could her son do that to his only friend? Paul obviously knew what she was thinking because he put his hand on her arm and said, "Hey, if I was Percy and my best friend was talking about me dying and being doomed, I'd be freaked out and ditch him too."

"Wow." Mathew said, "And you're a parent? No wonder why Percy's doing all of these injustices."

"Injustices?" Susan asked with a smirk.

"Yes, now, if you don't mind, I'll continue reading."

**I know, I know. It was rude. But Grover was freaking me out, looking at me like I was a dead man, muttering "Why does this always happen?" and "Why does it always have to be sixth grade?"**

"Why is it the 6th grade?" Fredrick asked Sally, probably since she was the most educated on the gods/demigods.

"Well, at the age of 12, you start to have a stronger demigod scent-the older you get, the stronger said scent becomes. When you have a strong scent, monsters sense you, and when monsters come attack you, since you have no training-you don't even know who you are-you get killed easier." Sally explained, gesticulating with her hands as she talked. "It's kind of depressing, but it happens a lot. That's why they have satyrs to go and find the demigods so that they can take them to camp before the monsters find them."

"So pretty much you have to hope that someone will find you before you die." Matthew supplied with a look of astonishment.

"Pretty much," Sally shrugged.

**Whenever he got upset, Grover's bladder acted up, so I wasn't surprised when, as soon as we got off the bus, he made me promise to wait for him, then made a beeline for the restroom.**

**Instead of waiting, I got my suitcase, slipped outside, and caught the first taxi uptown.**

**"East One-hundred-and-fourth and First," I told the driver.**

**A word about my mother, before you meet her.**

"Uh oh." Sally muttered.

**Her name is Sally Jackson and she's the best person in the world, **

"Well, never mind." Sally said with a blush.

**which just proves my theory that the best people have the rottenest luck.**

**Her own parents died in a plane crash when she was five, and she was raised by an uncle who didn't care much about her. She wanted to be a novelist, so she spent high school working to save enough money for a college with a good creative-writing program. Then her uncle got cancer, and she had to quit school her senior year to take care of him. After he died, she was left with no money, no family, and no diploma.**

"Well, that really stinks," Bobby said quietly, surprisingly with gentleness. At least he had some sort of heart.

"Yeah, well, things happen for a reason. And it's best that it did, because something wonderful happened because of it." Sally said with a gentle smile.

**The only good break she ever got was meeting my dad.**

**I don't have any memories of him, just this sort of warm glow, maybe the barest trace of his smile. My mom doesn't like to talk about him because itmakes her sad. She has no pictures.**

**See, they weren't married. She told me he was rich and important, and their relationship was a secret. Then one day, he set sail across the Atlantic on some important journey, and he never came back.**

**Lost at sea, my mom told me. Not dead. Lost at sea.**

"Wow, nice cover story," Fredrick praised with a nod of his head. "Wish I thought of a way to lie-" Susan glared at him, "-I mean_ break the news_ easier to Annabeth. Have you heard the story where Susan and I told Annabeth she was a demigod? It was a disaster, and it all started with that crazy looking mummy thing searching for food in the refrigerator. Let me tell you, what came out of that dead guy's mouth-" Susan again shot him a look that clearly meant _Not another word!_ "Well, never mind. It's a long story."

"I can kind of relate," Paul added, "When Sally and Percy told me that Percy was a demigod-now _that_ was a crazy story. I'm not going to go into it, but it involved a lot of denial, questions, confusion and a crazy hyperactive poodle."

"If you're all done reminiscing the past," Matthew said smugly, "I'll continue reading."

**She worked odd jobs, took night classes to get her high school diploma, and raised me on her own. She never complained or got mad. Not even once. But I knew I wasn't an easy kid.**

**Finally, she married Gabe Ugliano, who was nice the first thirty seconds we knew him,**

"How did you meet him?" Susan asked Sally with curiosity. _Why would she marry a man she never loved?_

"That's a story for someone else to tell." she replied as she wrinkled her nose in disgust.

**then showed his true colors as a world-class jerk. When I was young, I nick named him Smelly Gabe.**

"Ha." Sally giggled. Everyone stared at her because it was out of character for her to openly make fun of someone. "What? It's true. And if anyone messes with me, I'm not going to stand their helpless. I don't do helpless, I fight. Just because I like to make people happy doesn't make me a pushover."

"True that." muttered Paul.

**I'm sorry, but it's the truth. The guy reeked like moldy garlic pizza wrapped in gym shorts.**

**Between the two of us, we made my mom's life pretty hard. The way Smelly Gabe treated her, the way he and I got along ... well, when I came home is a good example.**

**I walked into our little apartment, hoping my mom would be home from work. Instead, Smelly Gabe was in the living room, playing poker with his buddies. The television blared ESPN. Chips and beer cans were strewn all over the carpet.**

**Hardly looking up, he said around his cigar, "So, you're home."**

**"Where's my mom?"**

**"Working," he said. "You got any cash?"**

"He's asking for cash?" Fredrick asked with disbelief.

"Percy, you go lie to that world class jerk! You get him! Throw a punch!" Mathew hooted as he pumped his fists in the air.

"You do realize you're talking to a book, right?" Bobby asked.

"Yeah, but it's pretty therapeutic. You try."

"Hello, book." Bobby said monotonously, but his face lit up like a wildfire right after. "You're right! It is!"

"Really?" Mathew smiled.

"No." Bobby's face immediately set into a jaded expression. "Can you please start reading?"

"Fine, whatever."

**That was it. No _Welcome back. Good to see you. How has your life been the last six months?_**

**Gabe had put on weight. He looked like a tuskless walrus in thrift-store clothes. He had about three hairs on his head, all combed over his bald scalp, as if that made him handsome or something.**

Sally giggled again, but covered her mouth. "Sorry."

**He managed the Electronics Mega-Mart in Queens, but he stayed home most of the time. I don't know why he hadn't been fired long before. He just kept on collecting paychecks, spending the money on cigars that made me nauseous, and on beer, of course. Always beer. Whenever I was home, he expected me to provide his gambling funds. He called that our "guy secret." Meaning, if I told my mom, he would punch my lights out.**

"That I never knew about." Sally said worryingly, her eyebrows knit together.

**"I don't have any cash," I told him.**

**He raised a greasy eyebrow.**

**Gabe could sniff out money like a bloodhound, which was surprising, since his own smell should've covered up everything else.**

"Dang, Percy should say some of these things out loud. He's hilarious." Bobby muttered to his brother.

**"You took a taxi from the bus station," he said. "Probably paid with a twenty. Got six, seven bucks in change. Somebody expects to live under this roof, he ought to carry his own weight. Am I right, Eddie?"**

"Wow. He has a brain." Susan stuttered, surprised, eyebrows reaching unbelievably high.

"Mother!" Mathew shook his head towards his mom, "And you wonder why we turned out the way we did!" Susan shook her head, rolling her eyes as she waved for Mathew to continue reading.

**Eddie, the super of the apartment building, looked at me with a twinge of sympathy. "Come on, Gabe," he said. "The kid just got here."**

**"Am I _right_?_" _Gabe repeated.**

Eddie scowled into his bowl of pretzels. The other two guys passed gas in harmony.

"Nasty." Fredrick, Paul and Susan muttered in unison.

**"Fine," I said. I dug a wad of dollars out of my pocket and threw the money on the table. "I hope you lose."**

**"Your report card came, brain boy!" he shouted after me. "I wouldn't act so snooty!"**

**I slammed the door to my room, which really wasn't my room. During school months, it was Gabe's "study." He didn't study anything in there except old car magazines, but he loved shoving my stuff in the closet, leaving his muddy boots on my windowsill, and doing his best to make the place smell like his nasty cologne and cigars and stale beer.**

**I dropped my suitcase on the bed. Home sweet home.**

"That's so sad. This sounds like the stuff you read in those unrealistic novels where there's that kid that always has these problems, which are pretty extreme, and has his life epically changed and all that..." Mathew trailed off, starting to notice the other's questionable glances.

"You mean like this story...?"

"...That happens to be real life?"

"Oh." Mathew faltered. "Never mind..."

**Gabe's smell was almost worse than the nightmares about Mrs. Dodds, or the sound of that old fruit lady's shears snipping the yarn.**

**But as soon as I thought that, my legs felt weak. I remembered Grover's look of panic—how he'd made me promise I wouldn't go home without him. A sudden chill rolled through me. I felt like someone—something—was looking for me right now, maybe pounding its way up the stairs, growing long, horrible talons.**

"SNEAK ATTACK!" Bobby and Mathew yelled together, earning glares from the adults who had jumped at their sudden-and _loud_-declaration.

**Then I heard my mom's voice. "Percy?"**

"That is not a monster." Paul smiled.

**She opened the bedroom door, and my fears melted.**

**My mother can make me feel good just by walking into the room.**

**Her eyes sparkle and change color in the light. Her smile is as warm as a quilt. She's got a few gray streaks mixed in with her long brown hair, but I never think of her as old. When she looks at me, it's like she's seeing all the good things about me, none of the bad.**

"Because I am." Sally smiled softly. Percy was full of good things, mostly good things, but sometimes it was hard to see all that through his rebel attitude and his history of blowing up schools. He really was good, so heroic and kind, and it hurt that not everyone could see him the way she did. It would make things a whole lot easier if they did.

**I've never heard her raise her voice or say an unkind word to anyone, not even me or Gabe.**

"Percy's really lucky to have you Mrs. Jackson," Bobby said sincerely, "I mean, all my mom does is threaten me-"

"I do not!" Susan said defensively. "I always make you sandwiches and cookies...I'm not that mean."

"We know you're not, mom." Mathew smiled, "It's just that we love you so much that we try to bond with you by making fun of you."

"So when you make fun of me, that's really a sign of bonding and you showing that you love me?" Fredrick asked, touched.

"Sure..." the boys said together, glancing at one another nervously.

**"Oh, Percy." She hugged me tight. "I can't believe it. You've grown since Christmas!"**

**Her red-white-and-blue Sweet on America uniform smelled like the best things in the world: chocolate, licorice, and all the other stuff she sold at the candy shop in Grand Central. She'd brought me a huge bag of "free samples," the way she always did when I came home.**

**We sat together on the edge of the bed. While I attacked the blueberry sour strings, she ran her hand through my hair and demanded to know everything I hadn't put in my letters. She didn't mention anything about my getting expelled. She didn't seem to care about that. But was I okay? Was her little boy doing all right?**

"I think the reason Percy turned out to be such a great demigod was because he had mother who saw past his faults pertaining to his godly side. He knew he was loved even with those obstacles and challenges in life, making him understand love and loyalty more so than the demigods who were exposed to hate, abandonment and distaste." Paul pondered as he put his hand on his chin.

Fredrick and Susan shared a grimace. _Hate, abandonment, distaste_? Those sounded like the things they surrounded Annabeth with. Sally noticed the look shared between the couple and offered, "Annabeth is an amazing demigod _and_ person. She had support and love, it just came from her friends and Camp Half-Blood. It was fate, and if it hadn't happened like that, it's possible that many people would've died due to the change of the course of history. Annabeth would be completely different, which could have changed all her and Percy's quests and who she was friends with. It happened for the best." Susan and Fredrick nodded in thanks.

**I told her she was smothering me, and to lay off and all that, but secretly, I was really, really glad to see her.**

**From the other room, Gabe yelled, "Hey, Sally—how about some bean dip, huh?"**

**I gritted my teeth.**

**My mom is the nicest lady in the world. She should've been married to a millionaire, not to some jerk like Gabe.**

"Well, I'm not a millionaire, but I do." Paul said with a shrug.

"Yes, you do." Sally said as she kissed his cheek.

"Whoa!" the boys said, covering their eyes, "No PDA! Will we have to remove you from the premises!?" The adults just rolled their eyes.

**For her sake, I tried to sound upbeat about my last days at Yancy Academy. I told her I wasn't too down about the expulsion. I'd lasted almost the whole year this time. I'd made some new friends. I'd done pretty well in Latin. And honestly, the fights hadn't been as bad as the headmaster said. I liked Yancy Academy. I really did. I put such a good spin on the year, I almost convinced myself.**

**I started choking up, thinking about Grover and Mr. Brunner. Even Nancy Bobofit suddenly didn't seem so bad.**

**Until that trip to the museum...**

"I'm still surprised he's sane." Fredrick said with a shake of his head.

"Well, after you realize that no one's going to explain all this weird and magical stuff, you stop asking questions and live with the fact that you may never know what the heck's going on." Paul related.

"Sorry..." Sally apologized, recounting the times that she lied to Paul and about Percy's "accidents".

**"What?" my mom asked. Her eyes tugged at my conscience, trying to pull out the secrets. "Did something scare you?"**

"You thought he had a demigod interaction?" Paul asked his wife.

"I knew." was all Sally said back.

**"No, Mom."**

**I felt bad lying. I wanted to tell her about Mrs. Dodds and the three old ladies with the yarn, but I thought it would sound stupid.**

**She pursed her lips. She knew I was holding back, but she didn't push me.**

**"I have a surprise for you," she said. "We're going to the beach."**

**My eyes widened. "Montauk?"**

**"Three nights—same cabin."**

**"When?"**

**She smiled. "As soon as I get changed."**

**I couldn't believe it. My mom and I hadn't been to Montauk the last two summers, because Gabe said there wasn't enough money.**

**Gabe appeared in the doorway and growled, "Bean dip, Sally? Didn't you hear me?"**

**I wanted to punch him, but I met my mom's eyes and I understood she was offering me a deal: be nice to Gabe for a little while. Just until she was ready to leave for Montauk. Then we would get out of here.**

"It was all I could do so that we would make it through the living room in one piece," Sally explained, "those two did not get along, and it didn't help my situation."

"Situation?" Susan inquired with a raise of her eyebrow.

"Yeah, you'll learn about that later...hopefully."

**"I was on my way, honey," she told Gabe. "We were just talking about the trip."**

**Gabe's eyes got small. "The trip? You mean you were serious about that?"**

**"I knew it," I muttered. "He won't let us go."**

**"Of course he will," my mom said evenly. "Your step father is just worried about money. That's all. Besides," she added, "Gabriel won't have to settle for bean dip. I'll make him enough seven-layer dip for the whole weekend. Guacamole. Sour cream. The works."**

**Gabe softened a bit. "So this money for your trip ... it comes out of your clothes budget, right?"**

**"Yes, honey," my mother said.**

**"And you won't take my car anywhere but there and back."**

**"We'll be very careful."**

**Gabe scratched his double chin. "Maybe if you hurry with that seven-layer dip ... And maybe if the kid apologizes for interrupting my poker game."**

"I wouldn't." Bobby muttered, crossing his arms over his chest. _Why should Percy have to apologize to such a monster? He didn't even do anything_.

"I would." Mathew countered, "That's all he has to do and then he's gone, out of Gabe's hair-if he had any-and off to one of his favorite places."

"That's a fair argument"

**Maybe if I kick you in your soft spot, I thought. And make you sing soprano for a week.**

**But my mom's eyes warned me not to make him mad.**

**Why did she put up with this guy? I wanted to scream. Why did she care what he thought?**

**"I'm sorry," I muttered. "I'm really sorry I interrupted your incredibly important poker game. Please go back to it right now."**

**Gabe's eyes narrowed. His tiny brain was probably trying to detect sarcasm in my statement.**

**"Yeah, whatever," he decided.**

"Whatever? Then why did he even ask for an apology?" Fredrick asked, looking around the room with a blank expression, as if searching for an answer in the Jackson-Blofis house.

**He went back to his game.**

**"Thank you, Percy," my mom said. "Once we get to Montauk, we'll talk more about... whatever you've forgotten to tell me, okay?"**

**For a moment, I thought I saw anxiety in her eyes—the same fear I'd seen in Grover during the bus ride—as if my mom too felt an odd chill in the air.**

**But then her smile returned, and I figured I must have been mistaken. She ruffled my hair and went to make Gabe his seven-layer dip.**

**An hour later we were ready to leave.**

**Gabe took a break from his poker game long enough to watch me lug my mom's bags to the car. He kept griping and groaning about losing her cooking—and more important, his '78 Camaro—for the whole weekend.**

**"Not a scratch on this car, brain boy," he warned me as I loaded the last bag. "Not one little scratch."**

**Like I'd be the one driving.**

"Yeah, he just hates you, Percy." Paul concluded with a shake of his head.

"And Percy made it pretty clear that he hated Gabe just as much." Sally agreed.

**I was twelve. But that didn't matter to Gabe. If a seagull so much as pooped on his paint job, he'd find a way to blame me.**

**Watching him lumber back toward the apartment building, I got so mad I did something I can't explain. As Gabe reached the doorway, I made the hand gesture I'd seen Grover make on the bus, a sort of warding-off-evil gesture, a clawed hand over my heart, then a shoving movement toward Gabe. The screen door slammed shut so hard it whacked him in the butt and sent him flying up the stair case as if he'd been shot from a cannon. **

"I didn't know about that." Sally frowned, "He was already using magic before he knew who and what he was. He's starting to realize his reality, causing his scent to become stronger."

**"Maybe it was just the wind, or some freak accident with the hinges, but I didn't stay long enough to find out.**

**I got in the Camaro and told my mom to step on it.**

**Our rental cabin was on the south shore, way out at the tip of Long Island. It was a little pastel box with faded curtains, half sunken into the dunes. There was always sand in the sheets and spiders in the cabinets**, **and most of the time the sea was too cold to swim in.**

**I loved the place.**

"Spoken like a true son of Poseidon." Susan smiled. "I wonder if the camp knew immediately who his godly parent was."

"I don't know, Percy never gave me details..."Sally trailed off. What had her son left out when describing his quests? She knew that he tried to make it sound less dangerous, for her sake, and now she'll be able to finally see what really happened. She didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

**We'd been going there since I was a baby. My mom had been going even longer. She never exactly said, but I knew why the beach was special to her. It was the place where she'd met my dad.**

**As we got closer to Montauk, she seemed to grow younger, years of worry and work disappearing from her face. Her eyes turned the color of the sea.**

**We got there at sunset, opened all the cabin's windows, and went through our usual cleaning routine. We walked on the beach, fed blue corn chips to the seagulls, and munched on blue jelly beans, blue saltwater taffy, and all the other free samples my mom had brought from work.**

**I guess I should explain the blue food.**

"Please, because I am hopelessly lost." Fredrick interjected with a shake of his head.

"Don't worry," Paul assured, "When I first met them, it was very...strange."

**See, Gabe had once told my mom there was no such thing. They had this fight, which seemed like a really small thing at the time. But ever since, my mom went out of her way to eat blue. She baked blue birthday cakes. She mixed blueberry smoothies. She bought blue-corn tortilla chips and brought home blue candy from the shop. This—along with keeping her maiden name, Jackson, rather than calling herself Mrs. Ugliano**

Bobby and Matthew suppressed a smile.

**—was proof that she wasn't totally suckered by Gabe. She did have a rebellious streak, like me.**

"So, that's where Percy gets the rebellious streak?" Susan questioned Sally, gesturing towards her.

"Well, sort of. Poseidon has always been a rebel as well, so, since both of his parents were rebels, he's extra rebellious." Sally commented, "Which can be a good thing...or a bad thing. It depends on the case."

**When it got dark, we made a fire. We roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. Mom told me stories about when she was a kid, back before her parents died in the plane crash. She told me about the books she wanted to write someday, when she had enough money to quit the candy shop.**

**Eventually, I got up the nerve to ask about what was always on my mind whenever we came to Montauk—my father. Mom's eyes went all misty. I figured she would tell me the same things she always did, but I never got tired of hearing them.**

"It must really stink not to know your dad," Matthew muttered sadly. As much as he teased him with his aviator goggles and hat, he really loved his dad. How could someone live without a father? He never said it out loud, but he knew he was pretty lucky to have both a mom _and_ dad.

**"He was kind, Percy," she said. "Tall, handsome, and powerful. But gentle, too. You have his black hair, you know, and his green eyes."**

**Mom fished a blue jelly bean out of her candy bag. "I wish he could see you, Percy. He would be so proud."**

**I wondered how she could say that. What was so great about me? A dyslexic, hyperactive boy with a D+ report card, kicked out of school for the sixth time in six years.**

"He was proud," Sally nodded, "And he still is."

**"How old was I?" I asked. "I mean ... when he left?"**

**She watched the flames. "He was only with me for one summer, Percy. Right here at this beach. This cabin."**

**"But... he knew me as a baby."**

**"No, honey. He knew I was expecting a baby, but he never saw you. He had to leave before you were born."**

**I tried to square that with the fact that I seemed to remember ... something about my father. A warm glow. A smile.**

"How's that possible?" Sally muttered, "Unless-"

"Dang! Percy has a freaking amazing memory!" Bobby interrupted, clearly not knowing Sally was on the verge of making a big realization.

"Bobby!" Susan scolded, shooting a disapproving look at her son.

"Sorry." Bobby muttered as he looked away.

**I had always assumed he knew me as a baby. My mom had never said it outright, but still, I'd felt it must be true. Now, to be told that he'd never even seen me...**

**I felt angry at my father. Maybe it was stupid, but I resented him for going on that ocean voyage, for not having the guts to marry my mom. He'd left us, and now we were stuck with Smelly Gabe.**

"It wasn't his fault..." Sally said sincerely to the book.

"Honey, you do realize you're talking to a book. Percy's not really here." Paul clarified.

"Yes, I know, just let me have this moment. It's very therapeutic."

"Told ya." Matthew muttered to his brother, but continued reading before Bobby could retaliate.

**"Are you going to send me away again?" I asked her. "To another boarding school?"**

**She pulled a marshmallow from the fire.**

**"I don't know, honey." Her voice was heavy. "I think ... I think we'll have to do something."**

**"Because you don't want me around?"**

"Ouch!" everyone grimaced, while Sally just bit her lip. She never wanted Percy to think that she didn't want him. It was hard enough for her to send him away, but for him to think she did it because she didn't love him? That hurt the worst. It hurt more than being captured by the Minotaur/Hades, or even dealing with Gabe all those years. She loved her son, she would do anything for him, but she hated it when he thought she didn't love him. Thankfully, it didn't happen a lot. Almost never.

**I regretted the words as soon as they were out.**

**My mom's eyes welled with tears. She took my hand, squeezed it tight. "Oh, Percy, no. I—I _have _to, honey. For your own good. I have to send you away."**

**Her words reminded me of what Mr. Brunner had said—that it was best for me to leave Yancy.**

**"Because I'm not normal," I said.**

**"You say that as if it's a bad thing, Percy. But you don't realize how important you are. **

"This is probably really confusing for him," Paul commented, his eyes squinted in concentration. He knew how it felt when you saw strange events occurring when one specific person was around and didn't have any answers, everyone talking in circles and making references. But when it was _you_ who didn't know what was happening to _yourself_? That must really stink.

**I thought Yancy Academy would be far enough away. I thought you'd finally be safe."**

**"Safe from what?"**

**She met my eyes, and a flood of memories came back to me—all the weird, scary things that had ever happened to me, some of which I'd tried to forget.**

**During third grade, a man in a black trench coat had stalked me on the playground. When the teachers threatened to call the police, he went away growling, but no one believed me when I told them that under his broad-brimmed hat, the man only had one eye, right in the middle of his head.**

"Cyclops." Fredrick muttered to himself.

**Before that—a really early memory. I was in preschool, and a teacher accidentally put me down for a nap in a cot that a snake had slithered into. My mom screamed when she came to pick me up and found me playing with a limp, scaly rope. I'd somehow managed to strangle it to death with my meaty toddler hands.**

"Dang." Bobby and Matthew said with wide eyes and open mouths.

"Didn't Hercules do that?" Paul asked the adults with curiosity. He had never heard Percy mention this early memory and was pretty surprised.

"Yep." Sally nodded, beaming. Even when her son was little he was amazing and powerful. He was going to make it out of the Titan War this summer. She was sure of it...partly.

**In every single school, something creepy had happened, something unsafe, and I was forced to move.**

**I knew I should tell my mom about the old ladies at the fruit stand, and Mrs. Dodds at the art museum, about my weird hallucination that I had sliced my math teacher into dust with a sword. But I couldn't make myself tell her. I had a strange feeling the news would end our trip to Montauk, and I didn't want that.**

"I really wished he told me earlier," Sally shook her head, "But it was fate. If he had told me, it would've changed everything."

**"I've tried to keep you as close to me as I could," my mom said. "They told me that was a mistake.**

"They?" Susan asked, but Sally didn't reply.

**But there's only one other option, Percy—the place your father wanted to send you. And I just... I just can't stand to do it."**

**"My father wanted me to go to a special school?"**

**"Not a school," she said softly. "A summer camp."**

**My head was spinning. Why would my dad—who hadn't even stayed around long enough to see me born— talk to my mom about a summer camp? And if it was so important, why hadn't she ever mentioned it before?**

"I'd be seriously confused." Bobby commented, "I feel really bad for him."

"Tell me about it. If it happened to me, I'd think I was going crazy." Matthew agreed.

"I'm pretty sure Percy thought he was." Sally smiled. "I just hope that when he got to camp someone explained it clearly to him."

**"I'm sorry, Percy," she said, seeing the look in my eyes. "But I can't talk about it. I—I couldn't send you to that place. It might mean saying good-bye to you for good."**

**"For good? But if it's only a summer camp ..."**

**She turned toward the fire, and I knew from her expression that if I asked her any more questions she would start to cry.**

"He's so sweet to his mother." Susan noticed, glancing at her boys, who, in result, looked away guiltily.

**That night I had a vivid dream.**

**It was storming on the beach, and two beautiful animals, a white horse and a golden eagle, were trying to kill each other at the edge of the surf.**

**The eagle swooped down and slashed the horse's muzzle with its huge talons. The horse reared up and kicked at the eagles wings. As they fought, the ground rumbled, and a monstrous voice chuckled somewhere beneath the earth, goading the animals to fight harder.**

**I ran toward them, knowing I had to stop them from killing each other, but I was running in slow motion. I knew I would be too late. I saw the eagle dive down, its beak aimed at the horse's wide eyes, and I screamed, _No!_**

**I woke with a start.**

"That sounds super scary and really prophetic." Paul said at last. "But don't demigod dreams have specific purposes or messages within them?"

"Yes," Sally nodded, "And I'm familiar with what each animal represents and what their fight symbolizes."

"Well the horse is a sign of Poseidon and the eagle is a sign of Zeus, right?" Fredrick thought aloud, "So Zeus and Poseidon are fighting or will be fighting."

"Oh! Is this the story Annabeth told us? About the quest Percy, Grover and her went on the summer that she finally came home?" Susan asked her husband.

"Probably," he replied with a shrug. He never heard the whole story because Annabeth didn't want to talk about it. Probably because she felt that her demigodliness was unloved and unwanted, but Fredrick tried not to think of that.

**Outside, it really was storming, the kind of storm that cracks trees and blows down houses. There was no horse or eagle on the beach, just lightning making false daylight, and twenty-foot waves pounding the dunes like artillery.**

**With the next thunderclap, my mom woke. She sat up, eyes wide, and said, "Hurricane."**

**I knew that was crazy. Long Island never sees hurricanes this early in the summer. But the ocean seemed to have forgotten.**

"Poseidon was always very forgetful, just like Percy." Sally joked.

**Over the roar of the wind, I heard a distant bellow, an angry, tortured sound that made my hair stand on end.**

**Then a much closer noise, like mallets in the sand. A desperate voice—someone yelling, pounding on our cabin door.**

"Don't' answer it!" Bobby warned Book-Percy. "You never answer the door! Something bad always happens!"

**My mother sprang out of bed in her nightgown and threw open the lock.**

**Grover stood framed in the doorway against a backdrop of pouring rain. But he wasn't... he wasn't exactly Grover.**

"Wasn't exactly Grover?" Matthew asked while Bobby was still staring intently at the book, just anticipating something bad to happen.

**"Searching all night," he gasped. "What were you thinking?"**

**My mother looked at me in terror—not scared of Grover, but of why he'd come.**

**"Percy," she said, shouting to be heard over the rain. "What happened at school? What didn't you tell me?"**

**I was frozen, looking at Grover. I couldn't understand what I was seeing.**

**_"O Zeu kai alloi theoi!" _he yelled. "It's right behind me! Didn't you _tell _her?"**

**I was too shocked to register that he'd just cursed in Ancient Greek, and I'd understood him perfectly. **

"I'd be flipping out." Paul said as he leaned forward in his chair listening in anticipation.

**I was too shocked to wonder how Grover had gotten here by himself in the middle of the night. Because Grover didn't have his pants on—**

"The title of the chapter!" Susan recognized with a smile.

**and where his legs should be ... where his legs should be ...**

**My mom looked at me sternly and talked in a tone she'd never used before: _"Percy. _Tell me _now_!"**

**I stammered something about the old ladies at the fruit stand, and Mrs. Dodds, and my mom stared at me, her face deathly pale in the flashes of lightning.**

**She grabbed her purse, tossed me my rain jacket, and said, "Get to the car. Both of you. _Go_!_"_**

**Grover ran for the Camaro—but he wasn't running, exactly. He was trotting, shaking his shaggy hindquarters, and suddenly his story about a muscular disorder in his legs made sense to me. I understood how he could run so fast and still limp when he walked.**

**Because where his feet should be, there were no feet. There were cloven hooves.**

"Yep. Something bad always happens." Bobby said with a shake of his head. "So, who's reading next?"

**A/N I thought it was kind of interesting that Paul might have an idea of what Percy was feeling in this chapter-they didn't know what all this magic stuff was, and everyone was either lying to them or dancing around their questions. So I kind of incorporated that into the chapter.**

**I hope you liked it, and I HOPE that I don't disappear again. I feel really bad. None of you deserved that. Anyways, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING SO PATIENT AND SO LOYAL. You guys rock my world. Thanks for all the compliments and helpful tips! I really appreciate you guys. :)  
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